Equestrian: Youth and experience in NZ team

New Zealand will have their oldest and youngest Grand Prix riders competing against Australia when the two teams meet in the final test to decide the most challenging series yet between the two countries at the Isola Showjumping Festival tomorrow.

Seemingly ageless veteran Merran Hain has been elevated to represent her country for the first time in showjumping after phenomenal successes last weekend at the Horse of the Year Show, where she won the biggest prizes on Tregonning.

The pair replace Molly Savill and Richard III, who leave this weekend to compete in the World Cup at Las Vegas after winning the New Zealand series.

After a remarkable riding career that spans half a century, Hain is the first person to compete for New Zealand in all three equestrian disciplines of dressage, eventing and showjumping.

The youngest team member, Katie McVean, will give her last performances on Dunstan Dolly at the three-day festival, before she leaves for her European campaign to qualify for the Olympics. The 16-year-old prodigy has won the Young Rider series (under 21) for the past three years but has been prevented from competing in the World Cup series by the minimum-age limit of 18.

McVean was part of the team which squared the test series at Hastings (Horse of the Year show) after the Australians won the first test at Gisborne.

The series, in its third year and previously won only by New Zealand, is the closest so far, with only one rail, or four faults, separating the teams in each test.